The new Meshify 3 (XL) brings a lot of innovation, and from our specialized perspective, the spotlight must go on the new fans the case uses. These are built on an entirely new, efficient aerodynamic design. Naturally, we’ll also take a close look at just how effective the system cooling in the new Meshify (3) XL case really is. The foundation for impressive results is solid. More than solid!
Significantly revised system cooling is what sets the new Meshify (3) series of cases apart. Alongside a reorganization in the layout of internal components, for the first time, new fans are used with impellers that show promise for outstanding results. Fractal Design has gone with a new aerodynamic fan design that we know works – and how it performs in the Meshify 3 case, we’ll discover soon enough. But let’s start with the basics. What exactly is the Fractal Design Meshify 3?
| Basic parameters | Fractal Design |
| Meshify 3 XL (Ambience Pro RGB Black TG Light Tint) | |
| Support | Mini-ITX, Micro ATX, ATX, SSI-EEB, SSI-CEB, EE-ATX, E-ATX (330 mm) |
| PSU position | ATX |
| CPU cooler | up to 182 mm |
| Graphics cards | up to 512 mm |
| Fan positions | 10× 120 mm/140 mm |
| Pre-installed fans | 3× 140 mm |
| Radiator mounting | 1× up to 420 mm (top) + 1× do 360 mm (front) + 1× do 360 mm (side) + 1× do 140 mm (rear) |
| 2,5" positions | 1× + 4× (shared) |
| 3,5" positions | 2× |
| 5,25" positions | N/A |
| Dimensions [H/L/W] | 575 × 245 × 515 mm (~85 l) |
| Weight | 10.90 kg |
| Materials | steel, plastic, glass, textile |
| Connectors | 1× USB 3.2 gen. 2×2 type C + 2× USB 3.2 gen. 1 type A + 1× 3,5 mm jack (shared) |
| MSRP | 230 EUR |
External details…
For analysis, we have the XL variant of the case, which is large – really large. With dimensions of 575 × 245 × 515 mm, the volume comes to roughly 85 liters. This also reflects support for E-ATX motherboards up to 330 mm wide, or even higher-tier EE-ATX boards. Regarding coolers, the top position of the case allows mounting of a 420 mm radiator (up to 475 mm in length), the front possiotion supports 360 mm and the side possition supports 360 mm. A 120 or 140 mm radiator can also be mounted in the rear, but the bottom of the Meshify 3 XL is not usable for cooling – not for radiators nor for additional fans. There are, however, ten available fan positions (for 120/140 mm models), three of which are populated with the included Momentum fans (three free positions are at the top, three on the side, and one in the back). More on the Fractal Design Momentum fans in the next chapter of this article.
Air is drawn into the case through a perforated metal mesh. The entire front and top panels are perforated this way. Each hole is about 1.2 mm in diameter, with spacing (including paint) around 1 mm. This panel will allow a decent level of airflow, and to minimize noise from the fans, the mesh is spaced away from the rotors – more in some places, less in others – due to the signature angular design of Meshify case fronts.
The connectors and power button are located on the top front edge of the case. There are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, plus a third, faster USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and finally, a 3.5 mm audio jack shared for both stereo output and microphone input. The power button is centered among these connectors.
At the rear, the Meshify 3 XL shows seven PCI Express slot covers, and on the right side panel, there’s perforation for three side-mounted fans or 360 liquid cooler radiator. The rear area around motherboard and GPU outputs is fairly open. The perforations use a relatively coarse pattern, suitable even for the rear exhaust fan. Of course, a circular mesh would be more efficient (and less restrictive), but Fractal Design went with this solution.
At the bottom of the case is a noteworthy dust filter with a fine nylon mesh. It’s washable and easy to remove. It slides out sideways – toward the right – by pulling on a protruding tab built into the frame.
Please note: The article continues in the following chapters.
-A german website tested the Meshify 3 and Meshify 3 Xl cases together .
There are two big differences : +6°C on the Gpu and +4°C on the Ram !
Look at the two cases from the side , the small meshify 3 ramp blow air into the motherboard .
The meshify 3 Xl ramp misses the motherboard by a few centimeters .
You may find good picture of the ramp on “tech pow er up” test and the temperatures test results on “comp uter base” .
Respectfully yours.
Yes, good observation—thanks for sharing these insights. The temperature difference is, of course, determined by the type of components used. For example, with passive CPU/GPU coolers, at the same heat output, you can expect a greater influence from system cooling compared to active coolers. It depends on many factors. The number of combinations that can occur is extremely large. In certain situations, the difference in cooling between Meshify 3 and Meshify 3 XL cases may not show at all; it’s very situational. And it’s not just about the performance or power consumption of the system inside the case… 🙂
This is interesting, and a great catch! I have a 3XL and I’m goofing around on air before committing to building a custom loop into my XL case. I am keeping the ramp air guide installed and I will pay attention to this as one still uses air cooling for the motherboard usually (for me SSD, RAM, or mobo water blocks are too over the top).
My take on the Meshify 3XL – it’s a great case design but has flaws (like any case). Great manual/documentation. The cable cover plate is wearing on my nerves, as I usually forget to reinstall it until after the rest of my parts are installed…the floor air guide doesn’t come out once you have side stuff installed. Front I/O cable routing can be a hard, the front I/O cables are rather fat and awkward (I have the non-RGB version and front fans work better routed thru bottom area). Also, Fractal tends to be over conservative with their radiator guidance. You can fit wider rads up top if you put them below fans (fans between rad and case top). I haven’t tried yet but I will see if my svelte Corsair 420mm x30mm radiator will fit up front as well (it’s smaller than the ‘max’ radiator dimensions that fractal lists in their excellent manual but they also only say 360mm rads up front).
Thank you for the insightful comment. Yes, the points you mention (for example, about the cable cover) can indeed be annoying for some, but it’s impossible for a single case design to please everyone in every way. What one user values and really wants, another might find inconvenient. The Momentum fans, at least, are excellent—people will likely appreciate them. Their minimum/start-up speeds (~350 RPM) are pleasantly low. 🙂